We ban these public statements not because they, in and of themselves, do any real harm, but because the world will react to them to the harm of the 'butt of the joke' so to speak. If one engages in slander or libel against a competitor to harm them financially and for their gain, they will pay a legal price. If one pretends to have kidnapped a parent's child, they will still pay a much harsher price.
Why? Because like Bullying and Hazing, these things can and inevitably do lead to violent harm to individuals and our society.
So now the latest. Another film, following in the footsteps of books and cartoons all of which were placed in major media by their creators which demonize a major religion and portend to be based on scientific and historically accurate facts. This is called propaganda.
People of all faiths and races and beliefs share in the faith that we should not be vilified for no good moral reason, but simply because someone with enough money chooses to do so. For example- Primarily for the benefit of those of the Jewish Faith and African Americans, it is pretty damned hard to get a permit to have a KKK Rally in public in the USA. And as a white southerner, I am proud of that!
In recent years people of the Islamic faith have been asked to allow 'free speech' for quite a few blatant bigoted and highly public assaults on their religion, in books, major paper essays and films and the world seems to ignore the fact that no one is making such hateful public condemnations of Christianity and Judaism in the same way and if they did people of those faiths would react similarly I'm sure.
So I'm saying this. Perhaps in America and the Western World we should allow the Islamic world into our 'club' where we mutually agree that speech can be violence. Words do have consequences after all, we use them to declare war. Let's please try to avoid that.
TheDixieDove
http://thedixiedove.com/
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